Medical Case: Kayley Boda
Kayley Boda, a 22-year-old from Manchester, UK, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Medical reports detail her diagnosis, treatment, and recurrence. Boda has stated she began vaping at age 15 and associates her symptoms with switching to disposable devices, while medical professionals have noted the rarity of her case at her age without confirming a definitive cause.
Case Timeline and Medical Details
- Early 2025: Boda reported beginning to cough up a brown, grainy substance in January. Over multiple medical visits, she stated she was diagnosed with chest infections or pneumonia.
- March 2025: After coughing up blood, an X-ray was performed. It revealed a shadow on her lower right lung. Seven biopsies were conducted between March and August.
- August 2025: Boda was diagnosed with stage one lung cancer.
- September 2025: She underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung and surrounding lymph nodes. During the procedure, cancer was found in six lymph nodes, and her diagnosis was upstaged to stage three. She received chemotherapy following the surgery.
- February 2026: Boda was informed that cancer was no longer detected.
- March 2026: She experienced chest pains. Testing of fluid from a pleural effusion revealed the cancer had returned in the pleural lining. At this time, she was given a prognosis of approximately 18 months.
Patient Background and Statements
Boda stated she began vaping at age 15, after briefly smoking as a teenager. She reported switching from reusable to disposable vapes several months before her initial symptoms appeared.
She has publicly stated she believes vaping is the cause of her cancer, citing the timing of her symptoms and a lack of family history of lung cancer. She has urged others to stop vaping.
Boda reported that prior to her cancer diagnosis, in November 2024, she developed a rash that did not respond to treatments for shingles, chicken pox, or scabies.
Medical Professional Statements and Context
According to Boda's accounts, doctors told her they were initially highly skeptical cancer was the cause of her symptoms due to her age.
She reported that her oncologist described her case as rare, noting it is a type typically seen in much older patients.
Boda stated that while doctors were unable to identify a specific cause for her cancer, they indicated that smoking and vaping "didn't help" or "definitely didn't help."
Related Developments
A GoFundMe campaign has been created by her family to raise funds for a clinical trial in Germany.
Separate reports cite a 2024 study suggesting disposable vapes may contain certain toxic and carcinogenic substances, and a previous case of a 26-year-old in Pennsylvania reporting collapsed lungs after vaping. A medical professional from Oregon has stated vaping can increase risks of heart disease, stroke, and exposure to heavy metals.